


Fighting for Acceptance

by DawnsEternalLight



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman and Robin (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Angst to Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bonding, Brothers, Fluff, Gen, Injury, Stabbing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 14:09:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9075262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnsEternalLight/pseuds/DawnsEternalLight
Summary: When Damian collapses during patrol Dick panics and rushes him to the closest safe house: Jason's. Together the two boys patch up more than just Damian's physical injury.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thegalacticpope](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegalacticpope/gifts).



> The timelines are a little mixed up in this story. Just basically accept that things are pre-new 52 but post Damian's resurrection. Cannon? What is that.

Dick landed on a rooftop and stretched as he waited for Robin to catch up. Patrol was going well. They were halfway through and had bagged half a dozen thugs, broken up a small gang fight, and even rescued a cat from a tree. Dick almost had to pry the animal away from Damian but the little girl who’d lost it had been ecstatic at it’s safe return.

The cat had been an early victory with two thugs being their most recent. The thugs had put up a fight, but nothing he and Damian couldn’t handle. He turned and watched the boy swing over to him and couldn’t stop a smile. It wasn’t often just the two of them got to patrol together, but Bruce had been insistent. He had a project that night that he claimed could only be done alone, and hadn’t wanted Damian to try and follow him.

“If you smile any more someone might mistake you for a clown, Nightwing.” Damian scowled as he stepped towards his brother. “Why have we stopped?”

“Just waiting on you Lil’ D.” Dick said.

“Tt. Well let’s keep moving. Oracle said there was a possible robbery at Gildens.” Damian pushed past Dick his steps hurried.

There was something about his stance that made Dick pause and try to examine his brother closer, but the boy was moving too fast, his hand already aiming his grapple somewhere else, and his cape hiding anything Dick might have seen wrong.

Dick brushed it off as an off feeling, created by a night going well for once. He shook his head, it was possible to have a trouble free night of patrol, even if they were rare. He didn’t have to assume there was always a problem. He decided to enjoy the time he and Damian had together and not worry about phantom problems.

His decision lasted all of five seconds. Long enough for the grapple to tumble from Damian’s hand and for the boy to crumple. Dick darted forward, catching his cape and hauling him back away from the edge of the roof and into his lap.

“Robin. What’s wrong, what happened?” Dick tried to keep the panic from his voice, but it was hard. Damian didn’t collapse. Ever. He’d been fine a moment ago. Snappy and brash and fine. Except he hadn’t, and Dick had been too fast to brush it off.

“Mmm, fine.” Damian groaned, pushing himself up, his hands digging into Dick’s thighs for support as he tried to move away.

Dick latched an arm around him and pulled him back. “You are not ok.” He said adjusting Damian to where he was laying across Dick’s lap. His brother didn’t protest beyond a grunt which worried Dick almost more than the collapse had.

It only took moving the boy’s cape back for him to find the source of the problem. Blood seeped out of a wound in Damian’s side and the boy’s hand shot to cover the cut. Dick’s thoughts jumped back to their last fight, one of the men had been carrying a knife on him. At the time Dick had been sure Damian had subdued him without any problems. He swallowed at the thought of how wrong he’d been.

“How bad?” Dick asked as he pulled his brother’s hand away.

“I told you.” Damian said through clenched teeth. “I’m fine. I just need a rest, maybe a quick bandage, that’s all.”

There was a lot of blood. How had Dick not seen it before? How had Damian not shown it? He pressed gently at his brother’s side and heard a hiss of pain in response.

“We’re done for the night. Come on.” Dick said hefting Damian into his arms, he pulled the boy close to him so his head could rest on Dick’s shoulder and tried to adjust his arms around his neck. “Hold on.”

Damian shifted, trying to push away. “I can finish patrol. We’ve only got a few hours left.”

The thought of Damian continuing patrol in his state turned Dick’s stomach. Why hadn’t his brother said anything? Why wait until he collapsed? Dick knew Damian wouldn’t have said a word until they’d made it back to the cave that night if he could manage it. He’d done this more than once when Dick had been Batman, and Dick had thought he’d broken Damian of the habit. Apparently not.

“You almost fell off a roof, what about that situation makes you think you can continue patrolling?” Dick tightened his grip on Damian and pulled up a map in his domino, there had to be a safe house nearby.

Damian’s arms wrapped around Dick’s neck even as he argued. “I was only a little dizzy. It’s passed now.”

“So has your opportunity to convince me to allow you to continue patrolling.” Dick said then turned to his earpiece. “O, can you tell me if anyone’s got a safe house nearby? Robin’s hurt.” He tried to keep his voice even but Barbra’s voice in his ear told him he’d failed.

“Checking. What happened? Do I need to call Bruce?”

“A run in with a knife, don’t call B. I can take care of him as long as I find a place fast.” Dick could feel Damian’s grip slacking already and it ratcheted his already rapid heartrate up a few notches.

“Hood’s got a place close by. I’m sending you the address and calling him.”

“Don’t call him I can han—” Dick started but the comm cut off before he could finish. He didn’t waste time trying to get Babs back on the line, the map had shown up on his lenses and he was already following its guiding hand.

Dick made it to the door of Jason’s safe house a second before his brother did. “Don’t open that door. It’ll backfire.”

The words stopped Dick’s hand on the knob. He stepped back and waited, his foot tapping out an impatient rhythm, for Jason to open the door.

Jason stepped back as the door swung open and Dick charged inside, his brother on his heels. “Bed’s to the left. I’ll get the medical bag.”

Even though he hadn’t wanted him there, Dick was thankful for Jason’s presence. It gave him time to get Damian settled and not have to worry about finding the medical supplies. Dick sat his brother on the bed promising himself he’d replace Jason’s sheets later and started pulling Damian’s uniform off him, unlatching the cape first before moving to get his vest and shirt off.

“I can do it.” Damian’s hands were on Dick’s as he worked the boy’s top off, his voice lacking its usual bite.

“No.” Dick said not looking up from his task. “You rest.”

“I said I can do it. I won’t sit here and be useless.” Irritation gave strength to Damian’s voice and he turned to pulling his gauntlets off, his fingers fumbling even that.  

Anger flared up in Dick’s chest and he pulled Damian’s hands away. “And who’s fault is that? If you want to be useful then relax and let me take care of you.” The words and his tone came out sharp with worry.

He glanced up and Damian’s face had gone blank, his mouth pressed closed. Dick knew he was going to have to apologize. It wasn’t Damian’s fault. His brother could have said something earlier, but either way they’d be in the same place.

He couldn’t apologize yet, he didn’t have time. Not with the pale shade Damian’s face had gone, nor with the amount of blood he was sure his brother had lost. He finally got Damian’s shirt off and the wound revealed. At the same time he realized that Jason was by his side.

“Lay down, Damian.” Jason’s voice was soft, and this time his brother was quick to comply.

Together Dick and Jason worked to get their baby brother taken care of, from numbing the area, and cleaning the wound, and sewing him up the only words said were those necessary. Through the whole thing, Damian stubbornly refused to sleep, his eyes locked on the ceiling above him. It wasn’t until they were almost done, that Dick noticed his brother’s eyes slip closed.

He didn’t want to wake Damian, but he wasn’t entirely convinced the boy had fallen asleep. Not after staying awake as long as he had. Not after Dick had snapped at him. Lost, and wanting to fix the wound he’d caused Dick wasn’t sure what to do, until Jason dragged him from the room.

“Thanks for coming.” Dick said finding his voice only when they were outside the bedroom and in the apartment’s living room.

Jason ignored his gratitude and moved straight to the point. “You need to apologize to him.”

Dick pressed his lips together. “I know.”

“This isn’t his fault.” Jason continued.

“I know.” Dick crossed his arms.

“He didn’t mean to scare you.” Jason’s tone softened.

“I know.” It was like Dick was a broken record.

He wanted to explain that he understood. That he hadn’t meant to hurt Damian. That he’d acted out of fear. But he couldn’t get the image of Damian collapsing out of his mind.  Couldn’t stop the panic from lacing his heart at the thought of losing his brother _again._ Even if he had just physically patched him up.

“Why?” Dick asked instead falling onto a cracked couch, head in his hands. “Why didn’t he say something? I’ve never understood it, how he pushes himself beyond what’s safe. It’s like he can’t feel pain. Except he does, you can see it on his face.”

The springs in the couch squeaked as Jason sat next to Dick. “He’s never told you?”

Dick frowned over at him. “Told me what?”

Jason ran a hand through his hair. “I thought he’d told you. I mean he told me.” It was mumbled, as if Jason was still trying to decide if he should let Dick in on the secret or not, despite having brought it up.

“What didn’t he tell me, Jason?”

His brother sighed, a deep breath that made him sink deeper into the couch he’d leaned back against. “His reason for pushing so hard.”

Dick shook his head, a second confirmation that no he hadn’t heard the reason and needed to. Jason looked over his face before continuing.

“They once made him climb a mountain with a broken wrist.” He didn’t need to say who they were, Dick knew exactly who he was talking about. “That’s the example he gave Bruce anyway. He told me about the time they dropped him off in the forest with only the clothes on his back and a cold. I think he was six that time.”

Dick’s breath caught. He was starting to understand. “They taught him this. Talia—” Dick couldn’t finish, couldn’t put his fury into words. They’d forced Damian to ignore pain or die. Taught him to put the approval of his mother over his own health. Tied his self-worth to his ability to complete a mission. And Dick had yelled at him about it. Had reinforced the idea the moment he’d gotten angry at Damian for being hurt. Dick wanted to throw up.

“I’ve got to go.” He stood.

Jason didn’t stop him as he pushed the door to Damian’s room open and tiptoed inside. The boy’s eyes were still pressed closed, but Dick knew his brother was awake. The crinkles at the sides of his brother’s eyes and the speed of his breathing was proof enough.

Dick knelt beside Damian’s bed and brushed his hand across his brother’s forehead, pushing his hair back. “Damian, can I talk to you? I know you’re awake.”

One eye slit open at him then the other. Wary was the only way to describe his face.

“I’m sorry.” Dick said. “I’m so sorry, Damian. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

“You didn’t yell.” Damian corrected his voice tight.

Dick took one of Damian’s hands and rubbed his thumb over the top of it. “I snapped at you, and I shouldn’t have. I was worried, and a little angry.”

His brother flinched at the word, tugging his hand back and under the blanket. Dick hurried to clarify. “I’m not mad at you, Dami. There’s a lot of things I’m mad at, but never you ok? This wasn’t your fault.”

“I didn’t tell you.” Damian said, his eyes looking past Dick. “You’ve asked me to tell you, and I didn’t. I didn’t dodge that blade fast enough. I couldn’t hold out long enough during patrol...” Damian hiccupped and Dick realized his brother was holding back tears.

“This is not your fault. Not the blade, not your collapse.” Dick adjusted his crouch so he could better see Damian’s face. “No one dodges every hit, not you not me. I wouldn’t have made it through patrol with that wound. Bruce wouldn’t have. No one expects you to.”

Dick sighed. “I should have told you this sooner, but I didn’t and I’m sorry. The only requirement I or your father has for you is to take care of yourself. Neither of us will love you any less if you want to call it a night early, or if you stay at the manor because you’re sick. We will be just as proud of you no matter what you decide.”

Damian wiped a hand across his face and hiccupped again but he was looking at Dick now. “I know your mom did things differently, but here you don’t have to push past pain or illness. In fact, I’d be happy if you did the opposite. Your health is more important than patrol.”

Dick brushed his hand across Damian’s cheek. “I couldn’t bear to lose you again kiddo. Neither could your dad or anyone else in the family. Do you understand?”

Damian sniffled and nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too. And don’t worry we’ll work on this together, it’s hard breaking habits. Take it from me.” Dick brushed his hair again and stood.

“Grayson?” There was a twinge of worry to Damian’s voice.

“Yeah?” Dick said.

“Don’t leave.”

Dick let himself smile then. “I wasn’t going to. Scoot a little and I’ll lay by you until you fall asleep. But no cuddling. Jason will be ticked if I end up tearing the stiches we worked so hard on.”


End file.
